Hateful Love
by WookieeBeta
Summary: [Sequel to Not Quite] Yami shows his affection in strange ways, but when a murderer known only as the Knife Master makes an attempt on Yuugi's life, the former Pharaoh is willing to give anything to save him. R for language, violence, and implied rape
1. Weak

**Disclaimer: ** WookieeBeta does not own Yuugiou, or anything else that may be mentioned in this fanfic.

**A/N: ** This is the sequel to another short, Not Quite. Both are Alternate Universes; therefore little in these fics is based in any detail on the series or manga. Basically, Yuugi solves the Millennium Puzzle and awakens the Pharaoh within, but Yami is considerably less tender than one might expect. Ryou Bakura met and befriended his own yami well before Yuugi finds the Pharaoh, and it is largely through the Tomb Robber's help that Yuugi survives the meeting. This fic takes place a few months after Not Quite. (Sorry about switching from American to Japanese names; they fit this version better. At some point I'll fix Not Quite, but not right now.)

* * *

Hateful Love__

By WookieeBeta

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**Chapter One: Weak**

Crimson eyes glared out of the black abyss, catching him with the force of a blow. The inevitable stroke followed, the lash of Shadow energy that made his side erupt in agony and sent him tumbling down the three flights of stairs only to roll, half-paralyzed, into the small hallway at the bottom and give a weak moan of pain.

"Please…please," he murmured. But to no avail. The eyes moved forward out of the shadows, and Yuugi could only look up in fear as the ancient Pharaoh strode toward him.

"Little light begs for mercy already," the former ruler sneered. "Little light is weak. He must learn to be stronger, or he will be a slave forever."

A single scalding tear found its way out of the corner of Yuugi's eye, and he curled into a tight ball, refusing to meet his darker half's gaze. It was always like this. He'd come home late in the afternoon, exhausted and bloody from being attacked by bullies on the street, and try as he might he wouldn't be able to avoid the spirit's notice; when he finally gave in and explained what had happened Yami would punish him for not being able to take care of himself. By the end of it he would barely be able to move. And then something inside the spirit's more-than-slightly scrambled mind would click, and he would spend the next several hours tending to the boy's wounds and fairly tripping over himself trying to apologize in his mangled speech. Yuugi would have to stay out of school for a day or two to recover, and then in another week or so the same thing would happen all over again. It was always like this.

"Please," he whispered again, "please don't do this…it hurts…god it hurts…" White-hot fire was ripping through his side. He couldn't move his right arm. The blackness was already beginning to crowd his vision.

"Stand."

Yuugi whimpered. He could hardly move his head; he certainly couldn't stand up.

"Stand! Little light does not ignore the Pharaoh!" The young teenager cringed as he heard the spirit's almost inaudible footsteps descending. Strong arms grasped him under the arms and hauled him upright. His head spun; he took half a step back, stumbled, and collapsed again. This time the spirit did not bother trying to make him stand. He just grasped the boy's feet and dragged him bodily up the hard wooden stairs, ignoring the many sharp _cracks _of his head hitting the corners. Yuugi's head screamed in protest, but he didn't dare to cry out.

Centuries later they reached the top landing. Every inch of his body hurt; he felt strangely light-headed. The spirit set him on his feet again, and this time he somehow managed to stay mostly upright.

_Wham! _ Stars exploded in his vision as the former ruler's fist collided with his cheekbone; he heard an audible _snap_ and gave a low cry of pain. He stumbled backwards.

Yami stepped forward, closing the gap between them, and his next blow caught Yuugi in the stomach. He doubled over, gasping for air. The world began to go black. Another rock fist in his face, and then he was falling, falling, falling forever, and there was a patch of light and a pair of brown eyes and someone was shouting and shouting – maybe his name, he wasn't sure, he couldn't hear, his ears were ringing and he thought he was going deaf – and then black.

Ryou landed on his butt in his soul room as his own yami took over, leaping from the door to where Yuugi's broken and unconscious form had landed in one long jump and taking the boy's body in his arms.

"Yuugi," he called softly. "Yuugi, wake up – wake up, don't be dead, wake up, please wake up…" There was no response. Yami no Bakura glared up to where the one-time Pharaoh was still standing, silent, at the top of the stairs. The Ring around his neck flashed dangerously.

"How could you," he whispered. "How…how could you deliberately harm your light, beat him so cruelly and then smile? How?! Tell me, dammit!"

"Little light is weak," the Pharaoh said simply. He shrugged, then turned and disappeared into the shadows of his room. The tomb robber stood to follow him, but a low moan of animal pain and fear from somewhere by his feet stopped him. It was Yuugi.

"How do you feel?" Ryou asked as he regained control and knelt by his friend's side. He ran a gentle hand over Yuugi's forehead and wiped away some of the blood.

"R – Ryou? Is that you?" Yuugi's voice was weak; his hand groped around feebly, and the British boy took it in both of his own. "I…I think I'm…I don't…it hurts, god Ryou, it _hurts_…"

"No," Ryou said fiercely. "No. Just hold on a little longer. I'm calling the hospital, they'll send and ambulance and you'll be better in no time. Just hold on – please, Yuugi, just hold on!"

The injured boy gave another weak moan, and his slight grip on Ryou's hand failed. Ryou pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. Within moments he had someone on the line; they said they would try to be there in less than five minutes.

"Just get here as soon as you can," Ryou begged. He terminated the connection; he was good at multitasking, yes, but he couldn't hold a conversation and save a life at the same time.

As he wrapped his light jacket around Yuugi's shoulders and used his shirt to sponge away some of the blood he realized the duelist was saying something.

"What? I didn't hear you."

"Don't…let Yami get taken," Yuugi whispered. "The police…investigation…want to put him in jail for…abuse… He doesn't mean it, doesn't know what he's…doing… Don't let him get in trouble, please…" Ryou was silent. He understood that Yuugi didn't want his darker half to get on the wrong side of the law, but then again he also understood that if something wasn't done he could very easily end up losing his friend. Yuugi wouldn't lift a finger against the spirit even in self-defense. "Please, Ryou," Yuugi repeated.

"All right," Ryou sighed. "I'll call Jou and Honda and get them to go with you to the hospital. Then my yami and I can go clear him with the police. Okay?"

Yuugi just gave him a weak smile. He winced; his body relaxed, and his eyes closed, and he fell into unconsciousness.

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Jounouchi, of course, wasn't exactly pleased when he heard the news. Bakura had to threaten to use the Ring on him in order to get him to calm down and not run off to strangle the Pharaoh with his bare hands.

"Look, you dumb mutt," the spirit snapped in an uncharacteristically nasty tone, "I'll deal with the Pharaoh. You just look after Yuugi. The ambulance just left; they'll be expecting you to show up at the Emergency Room, I already told them you'd come." The voice changed as Ryou took over. "And you might want to take Honda, for moral support if nothing else."

With his mind less muddled by rage now, Jou caught the tone of this last comment and it made him worry. "What do you mean? What exactly happened?"

"He, ah…well..." Ryou hesitated. He hadn't told Jou just how hurt Yuugi really was. "The Pharaoh doesn't really realize just how strong he is, or how weak his better half is…and, well, Yuugi's in pretty bad shape. There's a chance – " a shuddering breath, a few rapid blinks to dash away the tears forming in his eyes " – there's a chance he may not make it."

Silence. It was Jou's turn to take a long steadying breath.

"All right," the blonde said finally, "I'm on my way. Deal with the spirit and tell Mouto-san, and then meet us as the Emergency Room. I'll call Anzu and maybe even the Kaibas once things call down a bit."

"Bye, Jou."

"G'bye. And Ryou…"

"Yes?"

"…thanks. Thanks for helping him out."

The British boy gave a sad smile. "It's the least I can do. See you later."

"Later." There was a click, and the line went dead. Jou wiped away the infuriating tears, snagged his coat off the door, and then he was gone, running down the block to Honda's house to enlist his second-best friend's help, and they took off together towards the hospital. Fortunately it wasn't all that far away. They arrived only a moment after the ambulance.

"He's doing okay," the nurse informed them. "Your friend acted quickly and responsibly. Had he not been there, young Mouto could have died – as it is his condition is stabilizing, and the doctors think that with some recovery time he should be fine."

Jou heaved a sigh of relief he hadn't known he was holding. "Thanks," he told the woman. "Can we – that is, do the doctors think it's okay for us to go see him?"

"Give them a few more minutes," the nurse said. "This is still only the beginning. I don't want to worry you, but if there's internal bleeding or a head injury we don't know about there's still a chance things could go wrong – I know you don't want to take any chances. The doctors will let you know one way or another in about half an hour, I promise." Jou thanked her again, and Honda half-led, half-dragged him to a chair by the window, into which the blonde immediately collapsed.

"I should have been there," he murmured to his knees. "It should have been me that found him, not Ryou. I'm a terrible friend."

"Don't say that," Honda snapped at him. "It was just the luck of the draw. There's no way you could have known. It's not your fault, so don't beat yourself up for it."

The blonde shook his head. "That's just it, Honda. I _should _have known. I should have realized it long ago. Ever since he got the puzzle he's been…I don't know…different. There was that whole black-out thing for a while, and then when he disappeared…and afterwards, he was all right for a while, but then he started missing school and turning up with all sorts of weird bruises and broken bones and stuff. He tried to blame it on those bullies that beat him up every day, but I've heard them talking at lunch – apparently he ('he' being Yami) _pays _them to do that, and they never do more than bruise him. I should have known then and there what was up."

"You still couldn't have done anything about it," Honda said.

"Maybe not. But at least I could have tried."

There was a long silence.


	2. Conversations

**Disclaimer: ** WookieeBeta does not own Yuugiou, or anything else that may be mentioned in this fanfic.

**A/N: ** This chapter's a bit on the short side…

**Responses:   
**_Strega:_ Hey, thanks! Yeah, well, they're not the most observant of people, are they? And Yuugi's probably a really good actor.

* * *

Hateful Love__

By WookieeBeta

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**Chapter Two: Conversations**

"Hey, guys!" Yuugi chirped, beckoning his friends in with his good hand. Three days had passed since the incident; he was still in the hospital, but at least he was off the IV machines. More importantly he'd heard his doctor talking with one of the med techs, and apparently he was going to be released pretty soon. So he was in a good mood.

"You're looking bright and chipper," Anzu observed.

Yuugi flashed her a grin. "That's me! Come on in and sit down – I made the tech bring in some more chairs today – Joey, the rest of my lunch is over here on this table if you want it."

"Shouldn't you be eating more? Keeping up your strength and all that?" The blonde's voice was worried.

But Yuugi just made a face. "Not on the stuff they feed you here. I think they just boil cardboard and add food coloring and salt."

"I think I'd have to agree." Honda's face was an interesting shade of green; he put the spoon back in the bowl and handed it to Jou, who sniffed at it. "That stuff's disgusting."

"Not too bad, considering it's hospital food," Jou said with a shrug as he wolfed it down. Honda just stared in disbelief.

"So how do you feel?" Ryou came over and felt Yuugi's forehead and glanced over at a few of the machines – how he could read the things, no one ever knew, but he seemed to have an innate knowledge of all things medical – and whatever he saw seemed to please him.

"Pretty good," Yuugi said. "I mean, I kind of look like a mummy, with this many casts and bandages, but I'm not dizzy or nauseous anymore."

"The chemistry teacher wants to know when you're planning on coming back."

A cloud passed over Yuugi's face. He hadn't gotten around to thinking about that yet. With one arm, one leg, several ribs and a few fingers broken, not to mention his head half-covered in bandages (and all still very sore, regardless of what he told Ryou), he was positive he wouldn't be able to go back for some time. And then there was always the question of his extremely protective grandfather; he wasn't entirely sure he'd be allowed to leave the house. He wasn't even going to think about his darker half yet.

Fortunately, Honda caught his expression and changed the subject. "So…has anyone been watching the news lately?"

Jou gave him a queer look. "Uh…Honda? That really you in there? Since when do you pay attention to the news?"

"I read the paper every day!" Honda cried, indignant.

The blonde snorted. "Yeah. The funnies." Honda just glared at him.

"Actually, I was watching yesterday when they were talking about that murderer," Anzu said. "What was his name again?"

"They're calling him the Knife Master, since he's used a different knife on every person he's killed, and he always leaves it behind. But they still don't know his real name, or what he looks like."

"You watched it too, Yuugi?"

The injured duelist grinned and shrugged. "Not much else to do around here, is there? And actually, I didn't see the broadcast – the nurses were talking about it, so I asked them."

Anzu shuddered. "It's scary. I mean, there's a _murderer _walking around Domino, a murderer who's already killed ten people, and we still don't know even what he looks like." There was a moment of uncomfortable silence.

"Ah…anyone up for a duel?"

Outside in the hall, a handsome nurse hesitated in front of Yuugi's door and smirked. He glanced at the chart in his hand. _Yuugi Mouto…how very interesting… _He closed the chart and opened the door quietly.

"Yes?" Yuugi asked, looking up from his hand as the door swung open. "What is it?"

"Are you done with your lunch, Mr. Mouto?" the nurse asked, gesturing to the laden card behind him. Jou picked up the now-empty tray and carried it over as Yuugi laid another card face-down. The nurse left.

_Good-looking, too. _The nurse smirked again as he made his way down the hallway, picking up the empty lunch trays from each occupied room. _That'll be something new._


	3. Friends

**Disclaimer: ** WookieeBeta does not own Yuugiou, or anything else that may be mentioned in this fanfic.

**A/N: ** Back to a normal length. Be happy.

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Hateful Love__

By WookieeBeta

* * *

**Chapter Three: Friends**

Bakura pounded on the door again, more insistently this time. The night breeze was bitterly cold, and the old tomb robber was nervous. He had been elected to bring bad news to the Mouto household. It was a terrifying prospect, even for him.

"Mr. Mouto!" he roared as his fists slammed against the heavy door. "Mr. Mouto, let me in! Pharaoh, stop moping and _open the damned door!_" That did the trick; the door, nearly ripped off its hinges, opened to reveal a very angry Yami.

"What does the Tomb Robber want?" he hissed.

"Calm down, Pharaoh," Bakura snapped. He wasn't in the mood to deal with the former ruler's temper. "I know you don't care, but I have to tell Mr. Mouto. Yuugi's disappeared."

It appeared that maybe Yami _did _care. He stumbled a few steps backwards, eyes unseeing, and collapsed onto the couch. Bakura started past him, but hesitated when he heard the Pharaoh whispering.

"Little light…hikari…weak stupid perfect little hikari…gone…" His tanned face had gone white, and he was trembling. Bakura bit his lip, then walked over and sat next to the Pharaoh.

"It's going to be okay, Yami," he said softly, putting a hand on the former ruler's thin shoulder. "It's going to be okay. We're going to find him."

Yami looked up at him with wide, fearful, haunted eyes – the eyes of a child. "Tomb Robber is sure? Tomb Robber will – " he hesitated, swallowed, glanced away and looked back up " – will help find little light?"

"Yes," Bakura said, nodding. "Yes. I'm going to help you find your hikari. We all will."

The Pharaoh looked away again. Bakura could tell by the working of his jaw that he was trying not to cry, but it didn't work. His breathing became ragged, and his shoulders shook. Finally the Tomb Robber reached out and pulled the former ruler into his arms. They stayed like that for a long time.

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"This is never going to work," Jou said, throwing himself onto one of the numerous park benches. "This is a huge city. He could be anywhere. We don't have any way at all of knowing where he is – it's more impossible than finding a needle in a haystack."

Honda glared at him. "We don't have a choice, Jounouchi. The hospital won't help; the police won't start looking for another twenty hours. By then it could be too late. It's up to us to find him."

"Look, here come Bakura and Yami," Anzu interrupted. "He doesn't look so good." The two spirits were stalking towards them through the park; Yami's shoulders were drooped and he looked pale and withdrawn. But when he got closer and raised his head they could see the fires in his eyes.

"Any luck?" Jou just shook his head. "What about the police, have they found anything?"

"They won't help," the blonde said bitterly. "Neither will the hospital. We've looked everywhere – it's like he just dropped off the face of the planet."

"Then we're going to have to do this the hard way," Bakura sighed. "Pharaoh, I know it hurts, but you have to help us. You have to help look for him. You're the only one who can find him."

The former ruler bit his lip in hesitation.

"Come on, Pharaoh," Bakura urged him. "Do it. Do it for your little light."

Yami searched Bakura's earnest face for a moment, and then he closed his eyes, brows furrowed in concentration. "Little light is…weak, very faint. Hard to feel. Dark, cold…it hurts…" His voice trailed away, and he seemed to be battling something inwardly. He winced and fell to his knees, holding his side. Bakura knelt next to him. "Far. Very far. Pain." He was silent for a moment. Then his eyes opened, his head snapped up, and he pointed. "That way."

Honda glanced at his watch. "If we hurry, we can catch the next bus," he said.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Jou stood and started moving away, but the former tomb robber's sharp voice brought him back.

"Wait, Jounouchi," Bakura snapped. "We have to give the Pharaoh a moment. He's connected to Yuugi, and feels everything your friend feels – he has to recover."

But the former ruler shook his head. "No time. Go now."

"Are you sure?" Yami ignored him and stood, following the blonde. "…I'll take that as a yes."

They set off at a dead run, but just as they reached the station the bus pulled away. Jou cursed.

"I know a shortcut that'll get us to the next station in time to catch it," Honda said. "But we'll have to move fast."

"Let's do it," Anzu said. "If Bakura's right, and Yami feels whatever Yuugi does, then we don't have much time." The spirit was already leaning heavily on Bakura's shoulder, face pale and drawn in pain.

"This way," Honda said, taking off again. They pounded through a back alleyway, and eventually Honda slowed to a walk. "Watch your footing in here. I can't tell you how many idiot thugs have broken their ankles in some of these holes." They took him at his word; the cement beneath their feet, once a nice even road, was pitted and cracked so badly that one misstep could bring a person down. "Oh, and watch out for the rats."

"Rats?" Anzu repeated.

"Yeah, there are a bunch of them in here."

"I hate rats…"

The alley was long; they continued on for several minutes in silence, and still they hadn't come to the end. Anzu, in platform sandals, was holding onto Jou's arm so she wouldn't trip. Bakura noticed that the Pharaoh's face was growing progressively paler. Suddenly the spirit gave a tortured cry and collapsed, curling into a tight ball and screaming.

"Pharaoh! What's wrong?"

"What happened?" Jou demanded, whirling around.

"I don't know," Bakura cried, shaking his head. "He just collapsed. I can't find anything wrong with him – it must be Yuugi."

Jou cursed again. Yami's screams subsided and he whimpered softly, shaking. Bakura laid his hand on the spirit's shoulder.

"No!" Yami shouted, lashing out with stunning force. There was a flash of light, and Bakura was thrown through the air to land heavily some yards away. He groaned.

"Bakura! Are you all right?"

"Damned Pharaoh used Shadow energy," Bakura spat weakly, sitting up. "Ryou took over and took the brunt of the hit. He's unconscious."

Jou cast an anxious look at the shuddering Pharaoh. "Whatever's happening to Yuug, it's not good," he said. "We've got to find him, and soon."

Bakura nodded. "You three keep going. The Pharaoh's pretty much down for the duration, I think, and I'm not much better until Ryou wakes up. We'll catch up as soon as we can."

"Right. Don't take too long. Come on, Honda, Anzu, let's go!" The trio tore down the alley, heedless of the holes at their feet, and then the two spirits were alone with the rats.

Bakura winced as he stumbled over to the fallen Pharaoh. The Shadow Energy made every muscle in his body ache, but whatever he was feeling, the other spirit was feeling so much more. He was still shaking.

"No," Yami whimpered as Bakura's fingers brushed his hand. "No…please…stop, please, noooooo!" He jerked away violently, and Bakura grabbed his shoulders.

"Pharaoh! Wake up! Snap out of it, it isn't real – dammit, baka, wake _up!_" He gave the spirit a not-so-gentle shake, and forced his head up. "Listen to me! It isn't real – it isn't _you _feeling this! You have to break the bond!"

Yami's wild eyes locked on his own, and suddenly he seemed to realize what was happening. He hugged his shoulders and shook for a moment. "Little light," he whispered. "My little light…"

"Come on," Bakura said, pulling the former Pharaoh to his feet, "we've got to keep moving."

They didn't make it far. No sooner had they reached the sunlit street than did Yami collapse again, nearly dragging the tomb robber with him. Weakened by the absence of his other, it was all Bakura could do to keep his feet. He cursed.

_This is never going to work_, he told himself. _He can't keep this up, but every second is important, and he can't just break the bond completely. There has to be some other way…_

This "other way" became suddenly clear as a tall figure in a very familiar trenchcoat holding a briefcase stalked up the sidewalk.

"Hey! Kaiba!" Bakura shouted, limping towards him as fast as he could, half-dragging and half-carrying the Pharaoh. "Kaiba, don't ignore me – I need your help!"

The young CEO lengthened his stride ever so slightly, and almost instantly he was at the thief's side.

"What the hell happened?" he demanded as he helped Bakura lay the nearly-unconscious spirit on the ground.

"Long story short, Yuugi was kidnapped and we have to rescue him really soon," Bakura said tersely. "This is Yami. I can't carry him there fast enough – I need your help."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because if you don't, Yuugi will die," came the flat answer.

Kaiba sighed, then pressed a tiny unnoticeable button on his collar. He murmured something into it; within minutes a helicopter was hovering overhead, and a long rope ladder swung down. Kaiba lifted the Pharaoh in one arm – _he's incredibly strong, _Bakura couldn't help but think – and scaled the ladder with the ease of practice. Bakura followed only slightly more hesitantly.

"Go to the nearest hospital," Kaiba said to the pilot.

Bakura shook his head. "No. Yuugi first. There's nothing the doctors would be able to do for him anyway – none of what he feels is real."

"Then what – "

"Long story, you wouldn't understand." Kaiba seemed to take the hint.

"North-northwest," Bakura ordered. "And keep an eye peeled. I don't know exactly what we're looking for, but we'll probably recognize it when we see it."


	4. Sunset

**Disclaimer: ** WookieeBeta does not own Yuugiou, or anything else that may be mentioned in this fanfic.

**A/N: ** Short-ish again… WARNING: Implied rape. Don't like? Don't read.

* * *

Hateful Love__

By WookieeBeta

* * *

**Chapter Four: Sunset**

Pain. Pain and hurt and agony, forever and always. Yuugi couldn't remember anything else. It permeated his very being; nothing else existed, nothing but the pain.

Well, the pain and the thing that caused it. That man, that tall handsome stunningly gorgeous man, that man that had knocked him over the head and dragged him out of the hospital into this god-forsaken shack and beaten him and abused him until he could no longer move, the man with the black twisted knife that shone like the stars and burned him as it sliced through his skin. The man who had made Yami's most intricate lessons seem easy in comparison.

Even in his worst moments Yami had never done the things this man had done. He had punched, kicked, shouted, thrown him down flights of stairs and laid his arm open to the bone, but he had never, never, _never _tainted his innocence. He had never approached him in that way. The spirit had touched him, but this man had _touched _him.

And judging by the quiet padding of bare feet, and the wild smirk on the man's face, it was about to happen again.

This time Yuugi didn't even scream.

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The place wasn't hard to find. The helicopter flew in a straight line for a quarter of a silent hour, urban trappings gave way to wide expanses of open country, and finally Seto's sharp eyes caught sight of a lone shack nearly hidden in a stand of trees. Yami saw it too; he stared at it fixedly, rage and hatred flaring in his eyes.

"Bring us down by that shack," Bakura shouted to the pilot. The brown-haired man looked to Kaiba for confirmation; the CEO nodded, and the chopper settled down in the dirt. Yami forced himself to unsteady feet and stumbled out of the door almost before they reached the ground. Bakura and Seto followed only instants later.

Even through the haze of red clouding his vision and the incessant ringing in his ears, Yuugi caught the unmistakable sound of helicopter blades. His heart sank.

_He's going to escape, _was all he could think. _He's going to kill me, and he's going to climb into his helicopter and disappear, and then he's going to hurt someone else tomorrow… _ A single tear coursed down his cheek, the first in this entire ordeal. It wasn't his death that bothered him. Death would be a relief, an escape from the pain. No, it wasn't death that made him cry. It was the thought that some other innocent would have to suffer like he had. It rent his heart in two.

"Ah, that must be my friend," the man said with a malicious smile. "Farewell, little Yuugi – I'm afraid it's time for us to part." Yuugi heard the man unsheathe his knife. He felt the vibrations as the man knelt next to him, smelled his too-minty breath as he gently caught the broken duelist's lips with his own. The man stood, but leaned back over in preparation to drive the blade into his heart.

The door crashed open, and the bloody rays of the setting sun nearly blinded Yuugi, but he could still make out the faint silhouette of the ancient Pharaoh, and he could hear the shouting – "Brown hair man will not touch the little light!" – and he could feel the sudden happiness that flooded his body.

"What the hell?" The man spun and snapped his arm forward, sending the knife spinning towards the silhouette. It embedded itself in Yami's shoulder, and the former ruler screamed. Then he reached up with his other hand, grasped the hilt, and yanked it out, ignoring the geyser of crimson blood that necessarily followed. The brown-haired man pulled a dirk from his boot, and then the two were entwined in a hurricane of swipes and slashes.

"Yuugi!" Bakura cried as he skirted the battle. He knelt by the duelist's side, but Yuugi flinched away, eyes locked on a tall figure striding closer.

"Company," Seto murmured in Bakura's ear as he came down to one knee. "Another chopper – I didn't see how many men, at least one, probably two."

"We have to get Yuugi out of here."

"No time. If we don't go now, we're all going to die."

"Then so be it," Bakura hissed. "I'm not leaving without – " Yuugi's eyes flared wide in warning, and he tried to say something, but too late – the butt of the rifle cracked down first on Bakura's skull, and then on Kaiba's, and they both pitched face-forward onto Yuugi's battered form, unconscious.

Yami stumbled as a fresh wave of pain washed over him. The knifeman took the opportunity to punch him in his injured shoulder, and he gasped in agony. His next blow missed.

"Stupid kid," the man sneered, "you should have known better than to go up against me. I'm the best knife-man in the country!"

Yami's eyes narrowed. "Brown-hair-man hurt the little light," was all he said. Then he was upon the man in a flurry of attacks, moving with the frenzied speed that only a furious yami protecting his hikari could attain, but the man parried most blows and dodged the rest. Then Yami felt a stabbing pain in his gut. He glanced down; the hilt of the man's dirk was protruding from his stomach, and his shirt was already covered with his own blood.

"Never take up a blade against the Knife Master," the man smirked. "You can't win." He took a small step back, watching his opponent die.

"…hurt…the hikari," Yami choked out. His shoulders tensed. His arm flashed out in one even, controlled, lighting-swift movement, and the other man's eyes opened wide in surprise and then realization as his body crumpled, lifeless, to the ground.

Yami looked up and caught the rifleman's eyes. His gaze shifted back and forth between the bloody Pharaoh and the Knife Master's corpse, and reality seemed to click. He dropped the rifle and pelted out the door; a second later Yami heard a helicopter taking off.

He stumbled forward. His knees were weak; his legs weren't responding properly; his head felt curiously heavy; all he could think of was getting to Yuugi. But the shadows were already falling across his eyes. He slumped to the bloody floor.

"Little light…"


	5. Alone

**Disclaimer: ** WookieeBeta does not own Yuugiou, or anything else that may be mentioned in this fanfic.

**A/N: ** Very short…very, very short…

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Hateful Love__

By WookieeBeta

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**Epilogue: Alone**

"This place is getting way too familiar," Honda muttered as he followed Jounouchi into the hospital's waiting room. The nurse gave them a sympathetic glance but shook her head; no, Yuugi still wasn't awake. Jou's breath caught in his throat and his eyes burned. He stepped mindlessly to what he was beginning to think of as 'his' chair by the window and buried his face in his hands.

Honda sighed. He understood how his blonde friend felt – twice now he hadn't been there for his best friend, and both times Yuugi had almost paid for it with his life - but he didn't like seeing Jou beat himself up over it. But they'd already had that particular conversation, and since there was no point in reawakening old conflicts he just sat down in the next seat over. An hour passed in silence. Finally the clock struck nine; visiting hours officially began.

"Er, Honda?" Jou said quietly, standing. "Can I ask you a favor?"

The brown-haired teen looked up at his friend. "Anything."

"Can you let me go alone? Just this once. I…I just wanna be alone for a while, you know?"

Honda nodded. "Go ahead. I'll wait here. If you change your mind, just come out and get me, okay?"

Jou gave him a weak smile. "Sure. Thanks, Honda."

"What else are friends for?" he said softly as Jou disappeared down the long too-familiar hallway.

Jou hesitated at his friend's door. He hated coming in here, hated seeing Yuugi so frail and helpless, but he hated even more the thought of not being there if Yuugi woke up.

_Not if, _he berated himself. _When. When he wakes up_. He pulled a chair up next to the bed and sat, taking his friend's small hand in his own. The myriad of life-support machines buzzed and beeped and hummed; Jou almost didn't notice them anymore. They were just another background noise.

He took a deep breath and tried to steady his nerves. He was extremely grateful to Honda for letting him come in alone. He knew it was important to his friend to be there as much as possible, but he also knew he had to apologize to Yuugi or he'd go crazy, and he couldn't do it with anyone else looking on.

"Hey, Yuugi, it's Jounouchi," he began. "Look, I know you probably can't hear me, but there's something I have to tell you. I'm…I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't there when you solved the Puzzle, I'm sorry I wasn't there when Yami kidnapped you, I'm sorry I wasn't there when he hurt you, I'm sorry I wasn't there when that bastard tried to kill you, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you from all that… You never deserved it, you of all people never deserved all that. I wish to God I could have traded places with you, that you could have been safe…" His voice broke, and the tears he wouldn't allow himself to shed poured down his face like rain. He leant over and gently embraced Yuugi's comatose form. "God, I'm just so sorry…"

"J…Jou? Is that you?" Yuugi murmured. His vision was strangely blurred; he couldn't see his friend's face, but he felt his arms and he recognized the scent of his hair. After all, they _did _use the same brand of shampoo. He felt Jou freeze for a moment, and then he was nearly crushed in his friend's grip. Something warm and wet was falling on his face. It took him a moment to realize it was Jou's tears.

"Welcome back," the blonde whispered.

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**[A/N] **Sorry for the sporadic updates; between my usual forgetfulness and endless computer problems, I never quite got around to uploading anything o.O;; Many thanks to all of my wonderful reviewers - I don't remember who first said this, but your comments are what an authoress lives on I was originally planning to reply to each one here, but I can't get to them, so... And side note to **Strega**: Heh, yeah, I figure he's probably pretty wealthy. If I ever do another addition to this I may bring him back in and develop him further via flashbacks or something, who knows.) Thanks again, and sayoonara!


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